History should not look back on Plymouth Argyle’s 0-0 draw with Bury on Saturday and remember nothing but Luke McCormick’s match-saving heroics in the final 15 minutes.

Pilgrims manager Derek Adams felt his team should have been three or four goals to the good at the interval and stressed spectators should not forget those openings because of the Shakers’ late pressure.

Lee Clark’s hosts were on top throughout the final quarter of an hour and forced several super saves and blocks from the visitors’ captain and his defence.

However, amid all the praise for McCormick and saving a point for Argyle, Adams felt it was two dropped because of the first-half opportunities created.

Asked if the Pilgrims lost their foothold in the match towards the end, he said: “We did a wee bit, but not too much because we did create. Alex Fletcher was through on goal and the goalkeeper saves it.

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“(Lionel) Ainsworth was in as well. We had a couple of corners and free-kicks, but in the end their opportunities will always be spoken about because they came right at the end of the game.

“As people do, they forget the start of the game.”

He added: “It was two dropped today, just from the point where we had it in the ascendancy in the first half, but then if you look at it from a different point of view, if you flip it to the end of the game, we gain a point.”

Each of Saturday’s teams made it clear what their coaches will be working with them on in training on Monday morning: shooting.

For the openings which were created on both sides, the players lacked conviction and often chose the wrong option at the critical moment.

Adams picked out the four players he felt had chances to score, but despite missing a goal, he was delighted with his team.

“A good game, I thought we did really well today, we probably should have been 3-0 or 4-0 up at half-time,” he said.

“Ainsworth, (Antoni) Sarcevic, (Joel) Grant and (Nadir) Ciftci should have scored. We’d have been well on our way and then at the end we obviously a couple of good saves from Luke to give us the point.

Ruben Lameiras can't get his shot on target during the match between Bury and Plymouth Argyle (Image: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK)